Swordplay Masterclass

When I heard about HEMA, I really wanted to get into it but didn’t know where to start. There are no schools/clubs anywhere near me, and I don’t speak Italian or German, so unless there’s a manuscript in English or Spanish I couldn’t go to the original sources. And there are tons of resources online, but you can tell they’re written by (and for) people who already know what they’re talking about. But then I found Duello, and I’ve been loving it! I’m currently going through one of their “sidesword” courses (which btw includes sword & buckler) and it has been awesome! I still have a lot to learn, but now I have a great way to learning it well. I’m hooked!

Living in a relatively isolated community, DuelloTV has been essential to my learning the Art. It has also made me feel less isolated and able to expand my horizons despite the lack of availability of fencing clubs and training partners.

Devon Boorman does not simply teach you a martial art but also HOW he teaches a martial art. It is in this way he stands above the rest and brings an immeasurable value to the Intensive course that will enrich and renew one’s appreciation for this noble martial practice for a life time. In the simplest form, He is teaching people HOW to fish.

It will become quite clear in just the first hour of how knowledgeable, professional and methodical Devon and the Academie Duello Team is. The sheer amount of knowledge and information is impressive but what is even more impressive is the quality, fluidity and inter-connectivity of their teaching system is and how it is delivered.

I’m absolutely surprised by the amount of material that was covered, by how much I improved in 5 days, and by the amount of the information my brain retained. The intensive was very well thought out, professional, and quickly gave you a feeling of belonging. I would definitely recommend it to anyone at any skill level. Why? A full week of nothing but focus on swordplay.

Academie Duello’s instructor intensive gives a glimpse into a well-established, highly developed curriculum of swordplay as a martial art. I learned systematic learning and teaching techniques that will provide me and my study group with a path to continuous improvement as martial artists. The best part about it was spending a week at such an amazing, passionate and welcoming school.

I really enjoyed being able to spend a solid amount of time just dedicated to learning swordplay and how to teach it to others. I found the experience to be very enriching and grew a lot from it.